News

July 3, 2012
From the Waterways to the Highways, Virginians Are Advised to Play It Safe This Summer
State Law Enforcement Launch New Anti-BUI/DUI Safety PSA

RICHMOND – With Virginians seeking out ways to keep cool in the extreme heat during the Fourth of July holiday and upcoming summer months, drivers are reminded to play it safe both on the waterways and highways across the Commonwealth. To reinforce this critical safety message, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) Conservation Police and Virginia State Police (VSP) are launching a new, joint public service announcement on the deadly and illegal consequences of BUI - Boating Under the Influence - and DUI - Driving Under the Influence: DGIFYouTube

“This public service announcement reminds people of the importance of being safe while having fun on the water. Boating under the influence is not only dangerous to watercraft operators, but endangers everyone who enjoys Virginia's waterways,” according to VDGIF Chief of Law Enforcement, Col. Dee Watts.

Nationwide recreational boating is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities, and Virginia is no exception. The number of registered boats in the Commonwealth exceeds 250,000 and Virginia is a prime boating destination for out-of-state visitors. This figure does not include kayaks, canoes or non-motorized sailboats. In 2011, 57 percent of boating fatalities nationwide involved alcohol. To learn more about boating laws and boating education in Virginia, visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Website at www.dgif.virginia.gov. 

“Virginia’s law enforcement have zero tolerance for drunk and drugged drivers because it’s their actions that cost lives on our roads and waterways,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, VSP Superintendent. “No matter what you drive - a passenger car, pickup, motorcycle, or boat - if you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested.”

As part of the annual Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.), state police will have 75 percent of its uniformed workforce patrolling Virginia’s highways for impaired drivers and other violators during the Independence Day holiday statistical counting period. The annual, nationwide, state-sponsored traffic safety campaign begins at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 4, and concludes at midnight Sunday, July 8, 2012. During the 2011 July Fourth five-day statistical counting period, Virginia troopers stopped and arrested 117 drunken drivers statewide.

To view the video click here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=IHe5R44mJpo 
To download the PSA for broadcast media distribution, contact ron.messina@dgif.virginia.gov

Media Contacts:
VDGIF: Ron Messina at (804) 350-6186
VSP: Corinne Geller at (804) 674-2789